Automatic valve adjuster and silencer



April 12,1927. 1,624,497

E. H. M ALLISTER AUTOMATIC VALVE ADJUSTER AND SILENCER Filed March 27,1926 Patented Apr. 12, 1927.

AUTOMATIC VALVE ADJUSTER SILENCEB.

application filed mm; 27, 1926. Serial m. 97,825.

My invention relates to a novel construction of an automatic valveadjuster and silencer for an internal combustion engine, wherein I makeprovision not only for thoroughly lubricatin the moving parts in thevalve mechanismfiiut I further provide a novel cushioning means in thetrain intermediate the camshaft and the rocker arms, whereby the variousmoving parts are at all times automatically retained in contact so thatan automatic, and noiseless valve operating mechanism, which isefiic-ient and thoroughly lubricated at all times is produced.

To the above ends my invention consists in the employment of a tappetmade'in two parts or pistons mounted in a guide, which pistons areactuated in unison bythe-cam shaft, there being a chamber between thejuxtaposed ends of said pistons in which a body oflubricant is at alltimes maintained,'the upper of said pistons having an upwardly seatedspring pressed ball or check valve therein, which latter controls apassage extending longitudinally through the push rod, which passage iscontinued through the universalrjoint member composed of the socket atthe top of the push rod and the drilled ball end adjustin adjustablymounted in the aperture rocker arm mounted. on the rocker arm. tube,through which oil is fed under pressure from, the pressure oil system byclosing the end of said rocker tube with a special ball and springadjusted relief valve,- whereby oil can be readily fed to the valvetappets or pistons at an even and regular pressure, through holes insaid ball endscrew drilled to align with holes in the rocker arm,whereby there is an unobstructed lubricant passage formed from therocker arm tube to the pistons constituting the valve tappet.

My invention further consists of a novel manner of controlling thepassage of the lubricant from the hollow rocker arm tube into theoverflow, and-with respect to the sprin pressed check valve in the upperpiston o the tappet.

It further consists ofa novel construction of ahollow push rod and ahollow ball end adjusting screw coacting therewith.

It further consists of a novel construction of a valve tappet, composedof a plurality of pistons, mounted in a guide cylinder, one. of saidpistons containing an upwardly seating check valve, controlling a passae in the coacting push rod, the lower of said pistons screw,

being actuated by the cam shaft, and there bemg a lubricantchamberformed between the uxtaposed inner ends of said pistons.

It further consists of a novel construction of a valvular control forthe end of the rocker arm tube leading to the ioverfiow to thecrankcase.

It further consists of other novel features of construction and advantac, all as will be hereinafter pointed out in t e specification andclaims appended hereto.

For the purpose of illustrating my invent1on I havei shown in theaccompanying drawingsseveral forms thereof-which are at presentpreferred by me, since the same have been found in pactice to givesatisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be understood thatthe various instrumentalities.

of which my invention consists can be variously arranged and organizedand that mentalities as herein shown and described,

Figure 1 represents a vertical sectional view-of an internal combustionengine, having applied thereto an automatic valveadjuster and silencerembodying my-invention,

certain of the parts being shown in elevation,

the section being taken. on line 1- 1, Figure 2.

Figure 2 represents a longitudinal sectional view of the front end ofthe rocker arm tube showing a spring actuated check valve therein andthe coacting ports and passages leadingto the overflow therefrom. Figure3 represents a side elevation of the upper left hand portion of "thepush rod and its socket and the drilled ball end adjusting screw.

In carrying out my invention which is applicable in its broad aspects toany type of poppet valve engine, I have shown a conventional form ofsuch engine, embodying. the cylinder 1, the piston 2 and the up Wardlyseating vah'e 3, having theva-lve stem 4 slidablein the bushing 5, theupper por- I tion of said valve stem carrying the abutment 6 againstwhich the upper end of the 1, 24,497, UNITEDSTA. ES PATENT OFFICE.

valve spring 7 contacts, the lower end of said spring resting upon thecylinder head.

,The aforesaid parts maybe of any conventional or standard type, andneed not be described in greater detail.

Vith the upper end of the valve stem 4 contacts the terminal 8 of therocker arm 9 which is mounted on the sleeve 10, which surrounds thehollow rocker arm tube 11,

within which is a chamber 12 for the reception of the lubricant.

The portion 13 of the rocker arm opposite to the terminal. 8 is-providedwith a lubricant chamber 14, which communicates through the ports 15with the vertical drilled passage 16 throu h the threaded ball endadjusting screw 1 which is in threaded engagement with the. arm 13 aboveand below which are the lock nuts 18 and 19. The lower end ofthethreaded stemor adjusting screw 17 terminates in a ball 20, wnch 1sseated in the socket 21 formed at the upper end of the hollow push rod22, which. has the longitudinally extending lubricant passage 23therein, at whose lower end is 10- eated avalve seat which is closed bythe ball or check valve 24, which seats upwardl r 25 d esignates achamber in the upper end of which said ball is received, the latterbeing pressed against its seat by the spring 26 a ainst the lower end ofwhich contacts the plug 27 having the passage 28' therethrough.

It will be seen from the foregoing that by A reason of the provision ofthe ports 15, the continuous lubricant passages 16, 23, 25 and 28 areformed, which lead from the chambers 12 and 13 to the lubricant chamber29 formed between the 'uxtaposed ends of the upper plunger 30 an thelower plunger 31.

i The pistons 30 and 31 reciprocate in the open ended cylinder or guidecasing 32, which is positioned at the lower POItIOII of the enginehousing and said istons are ac tuated by cam 33 on the cam s aft 34,which latter contacts with the roller 35 journalled in the lower end ofthe lower plunger 31. 50 designates a relief port in the cylinder 32which may be located about one-eighth of an inch above the highestpoint, the lowerend of the upper piston normally reaches.

I preferably make the uper end of the lower plunger slightly concave, asindicated at 36, so as to provide an ample lubricant chamber for thelubricant or fluid between the juxtaposed ends of the plunger 30 and 31.

In Figure 2 I have shown the preferred construction employed at thefront end of the hollow rocker arm tube 11, wherein the flanged plug 37is shown in threaded engagement at 38 with the front end of thelubricant chamber 12.

The plug 37 contains the chamber 39 having the constantly open port 40and the port 41 which is controlled by the check or ball valve 42against which the spring 43 presses, the tension of said spring beingadjusted as desired by the screw 44 which is locked in the desiredadjusted position by the nut 45, it being evident that when the pressurein chamber 12 overcomes the tension of spring 43, oil can flow throughthe port 41 to the 8, and the top of the valve stem 4.

46 designates "the overflowgpipe for the lubricant, which leads to thecrank case 49 from the annular chamber 47, having the ports 48 leadingto thechamber 39. In practice it requires about 50 to pounds of pressureagainst'the tension of the valve spring 7 to unseat the valve 3. Thespring 43 is adjusted by the screw 44, to seat the valve 42, until itrequires 12 pounds pressure to the square inch in chamber 12 to unseatsaid valve 42. The pressure is taken from the force feed oil system ofthe engine and said pressure is exerted or conducted through hollowrocker arm 9, adjusting screw and hollow push rod and. valve 24 to space29,

the lifting pressure in 29 being about 8 pounds with all the movingparts in contact from cam 33 to top of valve stem 4. This liftingpressure of about 8 pounds in chamber 29 and the tension of spring 26keeps the check valve 24 seated at all times but whenever the pressureon the bottom of the check valve 24 is less than the pressure in thepassage 23 the valve 24 automatically unseats and lets oil into thechamber 29. During the reciprocations of the tappet pistons 30 and 31there is always pressure on them from the forced feed, which helps thesilencing and reduces wear.

It will be understood that the right hand or front end of the rocker armtube 11 seen in Figure 2 is equipped as shown in Figure 2 and that therear end of said tube 11 is connected to a suppl line from the oil pump,which carries t eoil under pressure to said hollowrocker arm tube orshaft 11, from which point the oil is conducted through the ports 15 tothe passages 16 and '23. The manner of pumping the oil as above referredto is well known to those skilled in the art and is as described onpages 15 and 16 of the Buick reference book of 1924 and need not bedescribed in greater detail. Through the constantly open port 40 oil ispermitted constantly to flow through the chamber 39 port 48 and passage47 to the overflow 46 and thence to the crank case 49.

It has heretofore been the practice to make the ball end adjusting screw17 solid so that the oil merely descends around the exterior of saidscrew 17 and the push rod 22 which latter has also heretofore been madesolid, and a considerable amount of lubricant has consequently beenwasted, which is avoided by my construction.

In my novel construction, the oil without waste passes through thepassages 16 and 23 to the upper piston 30, thence past the check valve24, and through passages 25 and 28 to the chamber 29, wherein thepressure of the oil will raise the upper piston 30 and automaticallytake up any clearance between the hollow push rod 22 and the rocker armand between the rocker arm at erations occur automatically and by ventsany oil from flowing upwardly in thepassage23 in the push rod,'when thelower piston 31 of the valve tappet is raised by the cam 33, and sinceoil is a non-compres-, sible li uid, the space between the two pistonswil remain the same and when heat from the engine expands the valvestem, this expansion is automatically taken up by the oil which willleak out between the pistons and 31 and the guide 32, which leakage isautomatically replaced by oil fed in past the check valve 24. All theabove opnovel device, the oil pressure system is extended from therocker arms to the hollow push rods, and the valve tappets or pistons 30and 31 and their adjuncts, which in practice greatly reduces wear andnoise, .and automatically takes up all clearance in the train of movingports intermediate the valve stems 4 and the cam shaft 34.

If desired the relief port may be provided in the guide casing 32, whichis located at a point beyond the highest point the bottom of the piston30 normally at- I tains or would reach in case the valve stem the abovedescription, and while I have, in

present instance, shown and described a preferred embodiment thereofwhich willgive in practice satisfactory and reliable results, it is tobe understood that the same is susceptible of modification in variousparticu- --lars, without departing from the'spirit or scope of theinvention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

,Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and'useful anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is v 1. In a device of the characterstated, a valve, a valve stem therefor, a rocker arm tube,-a rocker armon said tube, a cam shaft, a valve tappet composed of a plurality ofpistons having a lubricant chamber between their juxtaposed ends,actuated by said cam shaft hollow connections intermediate said rockerarm and said pistons and forming a continuous internal passage from saidrocker arm tube to said lubricant chamber between said pistons and acheck valve arranged in said passage.

2. In a device of the character stated, a valve, a valve stem therefor,a rocker arm tube, a rocker arm mounted on said tube, a

cam shaft, a valve tappet composed of .a plurality of pistons actuatedby said cam shaft, there being a lubricant chamber formed between thejuxtaposed ends of said pistons, hollow connections forming a continuouspassage from said rocker arm tube to said lubricant chamber between saidpistons and a spring pressed check valve in the ower portion of thepassage leading to the lubricant chamber between said pistons.

3. In a device of the character stated a hollow push rod having apassage axially therethrough, a valve tappet formed of upper and lowerpistons, there being a lubricant chamber between the juxtaposed ends ofsaid pistons with which the passage in said pus rod communicates, anupwardly seating check valve in the upper of said pistons, a valve stemand devices intermediate the upper'end of said push rod and valve stemfor actuating the latter.

4. In a device of the character stated, a

hollow push rod having a passage axially therethrough, a valve tappetformed of upper and lower pistons, there being a lubricant chamberbetween the juxtaposed ends of said pistons with which the passage insaid push rod communicates, a valve stem and devices intermediatetheupper end of said push rod and valve stem for actuating the latter, incombination with a check valve in the lower end of said push rodpassage.

5. In a device of the character stated, a valve, a cam' shaft, a valvetappet composed of a lurality of pistons actuated by said cam s aft, aguide casing for said pistons, there being a lubricant chamber formedbetween the juxt'a osed ends of said pistons, a hollow push ro connectedto the upper of said pistons, a ball end adjusting screw seated in asocket in the top of said push rod and having an axial passagetherethrough, a hollow rocker arm tube, a rocker arm mounted on saidtube and having a passage communicating with the passage in' said ballend screw, a check valve arranged in said passage and an extension onsaid rocker arm to actuate said valve.

6. In a device of the character stated, a valve, a cam shaft, a valvetappet, composed of a plurality of pistons actuated by said cam shaft, aguide casing for said pistons, a hollow push rod connected to the upperof said pistons, a ball end adjusting screw seated in a socket in thetop of said push rod and having an axial passage therethrough, a hollowrocker arm tube, a rocker arm mounted on said tube and havin a passagecommunicating with the passage in said ball and screw, an extension fromsaid rocker arm to actuate said valve, and an upwardly seating checkvalve controlling the lower end of the passage in said ush rod.

7. In a device of the c aracter stated, a hollow rocker arm tube incommunication with a source of oil supply under pressure, a closure forone end of said tube, comprising a threaded lug having a chambertherein, a constant open port leading from said rocker arm tu to saidplu chamber, an inlet ortin saidplug an a sprlng pressed 0 eck valvecontrolling said inlet chamber in said plug. cant therefrom, a

conveying luhri ush rod communicating with said tube and aving a passe etherein, in combination with an ,upwar y seating check alve i 11 saidush rod passa e. ELLI H. MQALLI TER. j

